July 29, 2004 - Mayor Bill Haslam announced today he is focusing on six law enforcement veterans in choosing the next Knoxville police chief.

The six are among 44 people who applied for the position, which was advertised in national law enforcement and the city's Web sites.

A broad-based citizens advisory committee reviewed the applications and discussed candidates' qualifications with Mayor Haslam. The mayor also conducted three community meetings to hear from the public about the traits and qualifications the police chief should possess.

The mayor is continuing to interview and vet candidates, and does not expect to select a successor to Chief Phil Keith by Aug. 1.

"The process to select the next police chief has been a good one," said Mayor Haslam. "We had an excellent pool of applicants with a number of strong candidates. The comments from Knoxville citizens who attended our community meetings and the feedback from members of the volunteer advisory committee have been especially helpful and appreciated."